Formal Logic…most of us never learned the rules in school and shudder at the very thought of teaching it! But if you are going to raise a classical scholar in your homeschool, you really need to become familiar with the concepts and terms. In fact, you may find after completing a few lessons that you actually enjoy this methodical way of constructing and evaluating arguments. In this last post in the series on step 2 of the classical trivium, “Thinking Critically,” I’ll briefly introduce you to the study of logic in laymen’s terms.

HISTORY

The western version of classical logic originated in Classical Greece with Aristotle. He called his argument the “syllogism.” Each statement followed a particular order containing a subject and a predicate. There are many vocabulary words, but three important ones to remember when teaching logic are: argument, reason, and conclusion.

METHOD

Reasoning shapes our thinking into intelligent patterns. When someone asks us for our reason for believing something, our minds have to go beyond the information given in order to decide, explain, predict, or persuade. Our reasons support our conclusion. So, a simple definition of logic is:

the system for using reasons and conclusions to construct and evaluate arguments

Whenever we give reasons to support our conclusions, we are presenting an argument. Officially, such reasons are called “premises.” Here’s the structure:

Reason 1 (first statement to justify the conclusion - evidence)

Reason 2 (second statement to justify the conclusion - evidence)

Conclusion (statement that explains, asserts, or predicts based on the evidence or reasons)

Here’s a real-life example of a formal argument:

Murder is against the law.

Destroying frozen human embryos is murder.

Therefore, destroying frozen human embryos should be against the law.

Traditional logic teaches methods for evaluating criteria like validity, truth, and soundness. Anthony Weston provides a brief overview of logic in his Rulebook for Arguments if you want an executive or top-level summary of the subject. In our own home, we’ve used two logic curricula: Canon Press and Memoria Press. My recommendation would be to purchase Memoria Press’ Traditional Logic, books 1 and 2, for a full year of high school credit. Most homeschoolers are ready to tackle this methodical workbook sometime between the 7th and 8th year.

Critical thinking will skyrocket once your kids begin to understand traditional logic. In lesson 5 of the second semester of the Memoria Press text, they learn how to apply all the methods for constructing and evaluating arguments to real-life. They can then take any newspaper article, identify the arguments including premises and conclusions, and evaluate with specific tools whether the argument is sound or not. This is a critical thinking skill that is rare in our culture and certainly unusual among teenagers; you owe it to your kids to give them these tools so that they are ready to take what they’ve determined and communicate their position effectively.

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To recap the posts on step 2 of the classical homeschool trivium, “Thinking Critically,” are:

Three Ways to Prepare your Child for Logical Thinking

Top 10 Traits of a Critical Thinker

What Does your Child Need to Become a Critical Thinker?

Know Why You Believe What You Believe

Can a Critical Thinker be Creative, Too?

Why Writing is a Catalyst to Intellectual Development

‘Shiver Me Timbers!’ Do I Have to Teach Logic?

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Pulitzer prize-winning American author, Annie Dillard, is quoted as saying,

“I don’t know what I think until I see myself write.”

Writing down your thought processes is a necessary step to a fuller understanding of the problem, issue, or idea. Simply listening to a news program, a sermon, or a lecture is not enough. Let’s consider a common scenario.

While you’re watching a news program with your husband, the telephone rings, and he leaves to go answer the call. When he returns, he asks you what he missed. You might be able to immediately reconstruct the basics of the story, but would you be able to accurately recount the details a week later? Now let’s assume that the next evening, you decided to take notes during the broadcast. I’ll bet if you compared your recap from both nights, you would clearly see the benefit of writing down your thoughts.

Why is writing a catalyst to intellectual development in your homeschool? The process of writing:

• stimulates the mind

• improves memory

• shapes critical thinking

• enlarges understanding

• provides a permanent record

Writing Stimulates the Mind

You’ve probably heard that you’ll retain information more effectively if you give it to your brain by more than one method. When your child reads a book, she is gathering information and storing it using visual cues. When your daughter then narrates what she learned in the book, she is organizing and storing that information a second time using auditory cues. Finally, when she writes while she is reading or even after she has read a passage, she is storing that info using both touch and sight. This child has now engaged the same information three different ways, and she is very likely to have a better understanding than she would have if all she had done was read the chapter.

Writing Improves Memory

Not only does processing information using multiple methods improve understanding, but it also improves memory. Since the late ’60s, leading memory authorities have documented the fact that organizing information (into categories) makes the info more memorable thus more likely to be retained in long-term memory. Additionally, writing down your thought processes or ideas usually results in a mental picture of the outline, sketch, or notes so that when you need to recall the information, you can readily remember your written notes by calling up your internal “teleprompter.”

Writing Shapes Critical Thinking

In order to write some thought down on paper or to type the thought on the computer keyboard, we need to first organize the information. We are forced to reduce all the incoming data to determine the main problem and identify the solution. (See “Can a Critical Thinker also be Creative, Too?” for more detail on the questions that a critical thinker should ask.) Does your child have trouble with math word problems? My kids used to really struggle with them until I showed them how to circle the important facts in the problem then translate the words into a mathematical equation or formula. As they dissected the word problem, they were able to focus on what the problem was asking and come up with the correct solution.

Writing Enlarges Understanding

When we exclusively confine our learning to reading or hearing someone else’s interpretation, we miss out on greater understanding. When we choose to write down the facts and come to our own conclusions, we inevitably stumble upon concepts that we thought we understood but later realized that we did not really grasp the problem. So, we’ve got to dig a little deeper to clarify our own understanding. Meredith and I watch a DVD on biology, and as we each draw our own “stick and branch” outlines of the lecture, we often pause the DVD to discuss concepts that we don’t understand.

Writing Provides a Permanent Record

As homeschoolers, we need to keep certain records in order to comply with the state. You also might want to keep a written record of your kids’ work in case they decide to homeschool their kids and need to refer back to their own home school work! At the end of the academic year, I ask the kids to pull their favorite examples from each area of study so that I can incorporate those writing samples in their portfolio or scrapbook.

I keep reading journals (3 ring binders or spiral notebooks) for all of my own studies. It is especially rewarding to go back through my “Quiet Time” Scripture journals from over the years and see how I am growing in my understanding and relationship with Jesus. I also keep my history, literature, and science notebooks in case I ever want to go back and consult them. They are really a “history” of who I was at that place and time because they reflect those thoughts and questions that I found most important.

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Here’s a quick exercise for you and the kids. Select an article out of the newspaper. Have the oldest child read it and narrate the main points to the rest of the family. Appoint one family member to take notes of what the narrator said. Then have the oldest child read the article again, but this time have him or her write down thoughts before narrating. Have the secretary take notes again. Compare the two accounts of the article. Which account reflected a greater understanding of the topic?

Absolutely yes!  Step two of the classical trivium, “Thinking Critically,” involves giving your children tools to solve problems. Observation, language, and evidence are all components of critical thinking but so is creative thinking. How is creative thinking related to critical thinking?

To be a creative thinker is to have a sense of discovery…to imagine…to invent…to be curious. Critical thinkers need to foster creative thinking so that they can develop viable alternatives and solutions for the problem. Solving problems involves the following 5 steps:

1. Identify the real problem.

• Ask lots of questions.
• Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
• What is causing the problem?
• Eliminate the distracting side issues.

2. Generate a list of alternatives.

• Consult experts.
• Brainstorm.
• Set the timer and “jam” random thoughts.
• Imagine new ways of doing it
• Postpone judgment until later.

3. Evaluate the pros and cons of your possible solutions.

• What do the experts recommend?
• What do the written references say?
• What are the facts?
• Have you had a personal experience with the problem?

4. Decide on the best solution.

• What pros and cons can you merge?
• What alternative solutions can you eliminate?
• What is the most workable solution?

5. Monitor the results of your plan.

• How well is your solution working?
• Did anything unexpected happen?
• Are there any adverse effects?

To think creatively about a problem, your child has to develop a deep understanding of the central concept and issues. In order to foster an environment where creative thinking is encouraged, provide the following conditions in your home school:

Time

Allow lots of uninterrupted time with no distractions so that your child can really think about the issue. Give less work so that he or she can go deep. Eliminate distractions (I know this is difficult). Give him or her time to concentrate so that those creative juices flow. He needs time to absorb all the facts of the situation and imagine solutions.

Place

You’ve probably heard this before, but we really do need a quiet place to engage in deep thinking. My kids work all over the house, both inside and outside, but when they need to really concentrate, they go to their “quiet places.” Meredith goes to her room and closes the door, and Connor disappears in the study. There’s also some value in going to the same quiet place each time they want to do some serious thinking because every time they reenter that place, the memory of prior “ah hah” moments will trigger a similar eureka moment this time.

So where does creative thinking factor into these 5 problem-solving steps? People who think creatively come up with alternatives and solutions that are not the norm. Creative thinkers illuminate the crux of the problem. Creative thinkers innovate when it comes to alternatives. Creative thinkers imagine a better solution. Once a little creativity has been applied to the problem, a critical analysis of the problem, alternatives, and solution can be performed. The more creative thinking your child does, the more ideas he’ll produce. The more creative ideas your child produces, the more skilled he’ll become. The more skilled he becomes, the more satisfying his sense of accomplishment will be. The more satisfying his accomplishments, the more he will love learning!

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Are you beginning to see how mastering the 1st (learning the language) and 2nd (thinking critically) skill sets of the classical trivium can release your homeschooling students from the subject-driven bonds of the public school paradigm? Focus on teaching these two skill sets and don’t worry about teaching subjects yet. Next up: “Why Writing is a Catalyst to Intellectual Development.”

“I don’t know.” Perhaps you thought you understood a concept then when pushed to summarize the concept in a clear, concise statement, you found yourself uttering the feeble words “I don’t know.” Or maybe you asked your son to explain what he just read, and he weakly stammered “I don’t know.” If you can’t explain why you know something, then you don’t really know it!

The English word “critical” derives from the Greek word “kritikos” which means to question, to make sense of, or to analyze. Critical thinkers know why they believe what they believe because they have asked lots of questions, analyzed lots of data, and have made sense of the evidence. According to Merriam Webster, a belief is “a conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based upon examination of evidence.” In evaluating beliefs, we need to consider four different kinds of evidence:

• Expert Authorities

• Written References

• Hard Facts

• Personal Experience

Expert Authorities

An authority is one who is an expert in a field and has usually devoted the majority of his working career to gaining a deep understanding of his area of expertise. Biblical scholars specialize in interpreting particular books of the Bible. Supreme Court justices specialize in Federal Constitutional Law. Anthropologists specialize in indigenous cultures. Who are the authorities for your core beliefs? Are they particularly knowledgeable in the area of the belief? Are they reliable? Have they ever given inaccurate information? Do other authorities disagree with their positions?

Written References

Original source documents like books, newspapers, online publications are written by authors who could be authorities or work for authorities. What texts do you rely upon to support your beliefs? Is the content of these texts based upon factual evidence? What are the credentials of the authors? How much personal experience does the author have with the topic? Does the author have a relationship with someone who is an authority on the topic? Are there other authors who disagree with the position that your texts endorse? Is there evidence to support the opinion of these texts?

Hard Facts

Facts are pieces of information presented as having objective reality; that is, facts can be objectively quantified or substantiated and are not subject to the interpretations of the user. When considering the facts behind your beliefs, inquire of the source of the facts. Were experiments performed to statistically quantify the facts? Was evidence obtained to substantiate the conclusions? Can this evidence be interpreted differently? Does the factual evidence support the conclusion?

Personal Experience

Many times our beliefs are based upon personal experiences. In evaluating these experiences, ask yourself the following questions. What were the circumstances of the experience? Were distortions or mistakes in perception possible? Have other people had similar or conflicting experiences? Are there other explanations for the experience?

You don’t have to examine each of these four types of evidence for every belief or position that you consider, but critical thinking skills will be improved if you practice asking these questions regularly. Think of a core belief that you hold about life then go through this exercise step by step. Some possible beliefs that you could examine are what you believe about marriage, parenting, or homeschooling. Here are the steps:

1. Describe the belief.

2. Explain the reasons why you feel so strongly about the belief.

3. Identify evidence for your position.

4. Describe an opposing point of view.

5. Identify evidence for the opposing viewpoint.

6. Evaluate the evidence for both pros and cons using the four categories above:

a. Who are the authorities?

b. What are the written references?

c. What are the facts?

d. What are your personal experiences?

Was that difficult to do? Now you’re ready to try this exercise with your child. Select an easy belief to start with then move on to more difficult beliefs. For instance, in my household, Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is favored above all other brands, so I might guide the kids through the following analysis:

1. Handels Ice Cream is better than Ritters Custard.
2. Flavor, variety, texture, and price all support our position.
3. We know this from personal experience and newspaper articles showing consumer preferences.
4. Ritters Custard is better than Handels.
5. Some people prefer the lighter, creamier texture of custard as evidenced by all the cars parked in front of the building.
6. Finally, authorities, references, facts, and personal experiences would be considered for both Handels and Ritters.

You can use these tools to evaluate all kinds of beliefs from moral positions (like “I believe lying is wrong”) to scientific theories (like “I do not believe global warming is a threat to the earth”) to difficult worldview issues (like “I believe in the Trinity”). Start with the easier concepts from their math lessons (like “I believe nine times eight is seventy-two” or “I believe a right triangle has one 90 degree angle”) or from their history reading (like “I do not believe the American Civil War was caused by slavery” or “I believe that Benedict Arnold was a traitor”).

You might want to set aside a few minutes every morning to practice this exercise just like you would practice an impromptu speech. Give the kids a topic (abstract ideas like love and power or concrete ideas like evolution and property ownership), and set the timer for 10 minutes. Give them a notecard and have them complete the 6 steps above. When the timer goes off, have them narrate their thoughts from the notecard. I promise you that this exercise will really stimulate their thinking; it really reveals how much they do or do not know about their belief! Train your kids in how to evaluate their beliefs so that they can confidently give a precise, thoughtful answer next time when you ask them why they believe what they believe.

Simply possessing information won’t make your homeschooled child intelligent. He needs to learn how to analyze, organize, evaluate, and apply information so that he can make intelligent judgments about daily life. The Ancient Greeks and Romans didn’t consider a person fully educated until the three skill sets of the classical trivium were mastered.

Language, step one of the trivium, has the power to represent thoughts, feelings, and experiences using symbols. Therefore, language is the most important thinking tool your child has at his disposal. Language is not just for communicating but provides the structure for critical thinking, step two of the classical trivium. That’s why the ancients began the education with learning the primary language. The three skill sets of the trivium are related as follows:

Clear language that is specific, precise, and accurate results in clear thinking which is focused, coherent, and analytical which results in clear communication which is articulate, organized, and persuasive.

You should begin teaching the child to think critically before language acquisition is mastered. In an earlier post, “What is the Purpose of Reading?“, I recommended that you have the child narrate the meaning of the read-aloud story to you. This step is actually a critical thinking exercise! To be an active thinker, she has to use language to articulate an idea (the meaning of the story), evaluate the quality of the reasoning (is the child’s narration based on the pictures and on the text?), and refine and improve the thinking process as you respond with leading questions for more understanding. In simpler terms, the child gathers information, processes the information, and creates meaning from the information:

• Gather
• Evaluate
• Conclude

What does your child need to become a critical thinker? He or she needs keen observation, quality information, and analytical tools. Allow your child to work through problems, make mistakes, and improve over time. Developing critical thinking skills is a process not an event.

Keen Observation

Encourage your child to pay attention to details. When you take walks in the woods, stop and look at the creatures, the stones, and the decayed logs. Listen to the rustle of the leaves in the wind. Smell the fresh scent of dirt in spring. Touch the rough tree bark. Taste the sweet nectar of a golden honeysuckle. Ask lots of questions along the way. Teach him how the multiplication tables advance with each number so that he starts to see patterns. Talk about the details of the story that you’re reading like character, setting, and conflict. Train him to ask probing questions and be patient when listening to others. As he ages, have him write about what he sees, hears, touches, smells, or tastes.

Quality Information

If the information is corrupted or inaccurate, a valid conclusion cannot be reached. Give him the best possible experiences and data. Train him to find quality texts at the library and bookstore. Teach him how to research, consider the credibility of authorities, and evaluate evidence. Expose him to alternative possibilities so that he learns to be open-minded and empathize with other people’s perspectives even if he doesn’t agree with them.

Analytical Tools

There are lots of tools for developing critical thinking skills. In the earliest years, start with storybooks and narration. Play lots of games, and work puzzles. Use manipulatives when teaching mathematical concepts. Teach scientific concepts with hands-on activities. Ask questions throughout the day.

Around the ages of 9-12, introduce thinking matrices like Mindbenders by Critical Thinking Press. (My kids preferred the software to the books.) Usborne puzzle books were a favorite at this age, too. Sodoku puzzles range in difficulty and teach systematic analysis. Formal logic can be introduced for high school credit as early as 7th or 8th grade if your child is disciplined enough to tackle the formal syllogism. In my opinion, Memoria Press offers the clearest formal logic courses.

Learning how to structure a paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting sentences is another analytical tool that teaches organization skills. Older kids should be writing their observations and interpretations. According to Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, “I write to understand as much as to be understood.” Writing helps clarify our thinking (more on this later under step 3 of the classical trivium).

One final requirement

Finally, in order to raise a critical thinker, you need to model critical thinking yourself! Demonstrate critical thinking on a regular basis. When you read the newspaper editorials, discuss the issues with the kids and point out bias, alternative perspectives, and possible solutions. If he is stuck on a math problem, sit down and work on it together. Walk him through the steps of analysis. Teach her how to write up a scientific laboratory observation and conclusion. Share what you are learning and thinking about the book or magazine that you are reading in your personal time. Do you keep a written journal of your learning? Show the kids so they can see how important critical thinking is to you. Model the behavior, and provide the tools that they need to practice, and soon you’ll have young adults who know how to express a clear thought in an influential and persuasive manner.

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Do you have other ideas for how to give your children practice at thinking critically? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Next post…evaluating beliefs and evidence in “Know Why You Believe What You Believe.”

Children don’t necessarily learn to think critically in public, private, or home schools. The U.S. educational model emphasizes “acquiring unrelated bits of information instead of developing a coherent framework of knowledge. But information is not knowledge. It doesn’t become knowledge until the human mind acts on it and transforms it.” (John Chafee, Ph.D., The Thinker’s Way) According to the Greek playwright, Sophocles, “knowledge must come through action.” In other words, the only way to become a better thinker is to think.

10. Critical thinkers are open-minded.

They listen carefully to every viewpoint, evaluating each perspective carefully and fairly. They recognize their own bias and are not afraid to hear other people’s positions…in fact, they welcome hearing other viewpoints because then their own knowledge is broadened. They empathize with others.

9. Critical thinkers are knowledgeable.

They have a broad knowledge base. Remember that knowledge is not the same as information…knowledge comes when you act upon the information by interpreting and applying it to your life. They base their opinions on facts, evidence, or personal experience. If they lack knowledge, they admit it.

8. Critical thinkers are mentally active.

They love the challenge of learning. They actively seek understanding and confront problems with glee. They do not respond to events or information passively. All of life is learning and acquiring new understanding. They are excellent observers.

7. Critical thinkers are curious.

They have not lost the curiosity of their youth. One of their favorite questions is “Why?” They explore situations with probing questions that penetrate below the surface instead of being satisfied with easy answers.

6. Critical thinkers are independent.

They don’t borrow the ideas of others. They are not afraid to disagree with the crowd because they have developed their own opinion through thoughtful analysis and reflection. They can explain why they believe what they believe to be true.

5. Critical thinkers are conversationalists.

They are skilled at discussing the issues in an organized and intelligent manner. Controversial issues don’t scare them because they are good listeners who consider all the facts before responding.

4. Critical thinkers are insightful.

They are able to get to the heart of the problem. They are not distracted by superfluous data. They can boil down an issue to the bare bones. They see the forest and the trees. They evaluate the accuracy of alternative positions and the credibility of their sources.

3. Critical thinkers are self-aware.

They know their own bias and are quick to point them out. They take their own position into consideration when analyzing a problem and look at all the alternatives equally.

2. Critical thinkers are creative.

They are innovators who break out of established patterns of thinking. They imagine another way of solving the problem. They think outside of the box.

1. Critical thinkers are passionate.

They have a passion for understanding. They are always striving to see the issues and problems with greater clarity. They engage in debates not for the purpose of proving their position “right” but to increase their own understanding.

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Can you see the beginnings of a critical thinker in your own home school? Do you have a curious child? Does your child show great imagination? Do you have a listener in your family? Everybody thinks. The challenge is not producing thoughts but producing useful thoughts that are capable of changing their world for the better. As you consider teaching your children step 2 of the classical trivium, “thinking critically,” remember that a classical education teaches a child “how to think” not “what to think.” Give them the tools that they need to achieve their fullest potential. In my next post, “What Does Your Child Need To Become A Critical Thinker?“, I’ll outline the steps a critical thinker takes when facing a problem and share some of my favorite thinking activities.

Did you miss the first post in this series on “Thinking Critically?” “Three Ways to Prepare your Child for Logical Thinking” defines and explains the origin of logic and offers three steps you can take today to get started teaching your children step 2 of the classical trivium.

You’ve probably heard the Greek word “logos” used in a Christian sermon when the pastor, preaching from the Gospel of John, referred to Jesus as the “logos” or “Word” of the Father. According to a Greek Lexicon, the noun “logos” means “a word or discourse which embodies a conception or thought.” The English word “logic” for which the second skill of the classical trivium is named derives from the Greek “logos” and is most commonly defined as the “study of formal reasoning.” Therefore, one who studies logic is presumably capable of intelligent, reasoned speech.

The Ancient Greeks understood the logic of the trivium as both (1) informal logic like the reasoned, methodical conversations between Plato’s Socrates and his disciples and (2) formal logic as in the systematic principles of the syllogism (argument) of Aristotle. Socrates’ leading questions helped his students understand why they believed what they believed, but he never told them what to think. Aristotle devised a deductive method for determining whether the premises and conclusion of arguments were sound or unsound.

The motivation for learning logic in ancient, medieval, and colonial times was simple: to distinguish between good and bad arguments so that thinking and the resulting oratory were more effective. Contemporary classical home school parents have their children study logic for the same reasons:

to become critical thinkers who use language and reason to effectively communicate.

But the study of logic is not the starting point for teaching thinking. That comes much later when the child is ready to handle abstract thought.

So when do you start teaching your children to think? As soon as possible! Recent research points to the discovery that the brain’s capacity for rational thinking and problem-solving is established by the age of one! Children whose parents who have been actively speaking with them from birth have more complex networks of neurons which means they are predisposed to intelligence, creativity, and adaptability throughout life. In fact, John Chaffee, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of critical thinking, states that “the number of words that an infant hears each day is the most important predictor of later intelligence, academic success, and social competence.” Talk to your babies!

Children are full of energy, curiosity, and imagination which are all essential ingredients to critical thinking. Any parent knows that one of the favorite questions of children and teens is “Why?” Children explore. Children wonder. Children imagine. Here are three tips for nurturing your child’s natural curiosity and expanding their minds:

Take their questions seriously.

“Mom, why do lightening bugs glow? Dad, why does an onion make me cry? Mom, why do bubbles disappear when I touch them?” Questions, questions, questions. Living with children brings never-ending questions, or so it seems. My 15 year old popped a doozy of a question on me about race and economics today after we volunteered in a downtown mission! Sometimes, you might be tempted to dismiss the constant questions because you are too busy or just too tired, but resist the easy way out. When you take your children’s questions seriously, you are showing respect and validating their worth. Trust is built, and they feel secure in asking more questions without the fear of condemnation for being “silly” or “childish.” Additionally, we all want to protect our kids from the harsh realities of life, but don’t avoid life’s most difficult questions if you sense that they are mature enough to handle the answers or even find that you don’t have the answers.

Expose them to other perspectives.

When we look at issues from another person’s perspective, we broaden our own understanding, recognize our bias’, and gain insights that we wouldn’t have otherwise had. This week the kids and I joined another home schooling family for some community service; our kids spent a couple of hours teaching hands-on science at a Christian mission in a very depressed area of town. After the workshop was over, I asked the neighborhood kids if they needed any help on their homework, and they excitedly pulled their assignments out. Each teen sat down with a child who was living in a different culture: different race, different economy, different family life. But the Lord gives us the power to cross cultural barriers, and our kids connected with these children on a heart level. The little girl that Meredith was helping asked her to sit with her during the meal that followed.

As we drove home that evening, Meredith reflected on the disparity between the material poverty of this neighborhood and the extravagant wealth of the suburbs. Seeing life from that little girl’s perspective had opened Meredith’s eyes to a new reality. We’ve been serving as a family in inner-city missions for years, but for some reason, this was the day that my daughter really began to empathize on a deep level. Introduce other perspectives early and regularly because you never know when the light bulb will go off, and a new understanding begin to take shape.

Talk about right and wrong.

I know I’m preaching to the crowd on this one, but use every opportunity to train your children in righteousness. One of the key factors in critical thinking is knowing what you believe and why you believe it so that you can listen to others with different opinions and evaluate alternatives intelligently. Some of their most difficult questions will be those involving morals. For instance, in Treasure Island, Long John Silver is morally ambiguous. He is an unrepentant murderer and thief, yet he cares for Jim Hawkins and protects him from danger. How can someone who is bad do good things? Use literature and movies as opportunities to discuss good and bad, right and wrong.

Teach them why you believe what you believe. Explore Scripture for answers to their questions. Here’s an example of a moral question that you might run across when you’re reading Scripture. In Exodus, the midwives lie to Pharoah’s servants about the Israelite infants that they failed to kill. Are there certain situations when the Lord allows deceit? Scripture is full of moral issues that you need to explore as a family so that the kids are ready to take a stand when analyzing other positions. Also make sure that you are ‘walking the walk’ and ‘talking the talk,’ too!

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Questions are really just opportunities for stimulating discussion. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to answer all their questions. If you tell them what to think, you deprive them of the privilege of further thinking and likely end the conversation. Many of life’s most difficult questions don’t have easy answers, so don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or to show your child how to discover the answer. Ask them questions! If you’d like to know more about how to use the Socratic method, read my article entitled “Ask. Don’t Tell.” In my next post, “Top 10 Traits of Critical Thinkers,” I’ll share 10 traits that all critical thinkers share.

Have you ever started your homeschooling day with a plan only to find yourself chasing a rabbit? I recently heard a well-respected authority say that all knowledge was related, and after following a link for learning a foreign language this morning, I landed on a blog which featured this beautiful video about Bosnia Herzegovina. I’m sure the author of the blog only intended to promote her beautiful country, but I ended up pondering other ideas related to Christianity and classical education. Today I’ll show you how to take seemingly unrelated trivia and incorporate it into your classical education. Enjoy the video then continue reading…

Trivia

Bosnia Herzegovina is located in southern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula directly east of Italy. Previously part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia Herzegovina is home to Sarajevo, host city of the 1984 Winter Olympics. During the struggle for independence in 1992-1995, the people of this country experienced war in their homeland. According to Operation World, 1.3 million citizens fled their homes, and after the war only about 1/4 of them returned to the country to build new homes and start again.

Although the war officially ended in 1995, NATO maintained a stabilization force there until December 2005. The video clip portrays a countryside of beauty and tranquility, and the people appear to be at peace, but there are ongoing ethnic and religious tensions. During the 500 year Turkish occupation, many Bosnians became Muslim (38-50% of the population), and during the ’90’s, the Croats created an alliance with the Bosnians against the Christian Serbians (35% in a 50/50 split: Catholic/Orthodox.)

You may recall seeing news reports during the ’90s about ethnic cleansing, looting, destruction, and death under Serbian Milosovic’s reign of terror. Such horror has “left deep scars and abiding hatred between communities that once lived together, spoke the same language, and even intermarried.” (Operation World p.116) The Bosnian language is based on the Latin alphabet although the Cyrillic alphabet is used occasionally.

Observation

So how can you apply seemingly unrelated facts or news events to your classical home school? One of the hallmarks of a classical education is inductive reasoning which involves 3 steps: (1) observe, (2) interpret, and (3) apply. In this particular situation, I have observed (step 1) something in my world (the enticing video) which caused me to want to learn more. My first reaction was a desire to visit Bosnia Herzegovina; then I wanted to learn more about the people of the country so I did a little more research.

Interpretation

Next, I quickly catalogued my new knowledge so that I could interpret (step 2) what I had learned. What did I learn? I discovered that Bosnia Herzegovina has recently experienced war; in fact, my peers there were fleeing their homes and losing loved ones while I was adding to my family and creating a safe home for my newborns! I learned that there are more Muslims than Christians in the country, and that Protestant Christians are nearly nonexistent. I learned that these people have a long history…they were around when the Turks dominated the world during the Crusades. What is the meaning of this information that I have gathered.

Application

Finally, I apply (step 3) what I have learned to our own home school situation. Application will be unique for each family, but here are five ideas I might use in my family.

1. Currently, my teenage son is studying the American Civil War, so I could relate the Bosnian Reconstruction to the American Reconstruction period of the 1860s-70s as homes were rebuilt and ethnic divisions were examined with a view towards healing.

2. I could take a thematic approach to application by talking about grief and forgiveness. We’re studying I Kings at table in the mornings, so I could relate the Bosnian situation to family divisions in ancient Israel during David and Solomon’s reigns.

3. We could discuss what it would be like here in America if conditions allowed a foreign religion to evangelize mass numbers of citizens like the Muslim conversions that occurred during the Ottoman occupation of the Middle Ages.

4. Right now, the kids are immersed in this year’s policy debate resolution on illegal immigration, so we could talk about the refugee situation in Bosnia and how it relates to immigrants like the Somalians or Liberians seeking asylum in the U.S.

5. Or I could go back to that original rabbit trail and relate the Bosnian language to the Latin language!

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So, keep your eyes, ears, and heart open when you follow rabbit trails and come across seemingly unimportant information…the possibilities for meaningful discussion in your classical home school are endless!